


MediEvil || dépaysement

by Tsumiki91



Category: MediEvil (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Dark Fantasy, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fantasy, Fluff, Folklore, Gen, Humor, Imagines, Mythology References, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Slow To Update, Supernatural - Freeform, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:00:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22292977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsumiki91/pseuds/Tsumiki91
Summary: 𝖉é𝖕𝖆𝖞𝖘𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙(𝖓.) 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖘𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖆𝖐𝖊𝖓 𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖔𝖜𝖓 𝖋𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖎𝖆𝖗 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖔 𝖆 𝖓𝖊𝖜 𝖔𝖓𝖊.☆.｡.:*▸ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ┈┈┈┈ 🎕 ◂☆.｡.:*.｡.:*☆𝘚𝘪𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘭 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘱. 𝘙𝘰𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥-- 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘳𝘢.  𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘱𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯.☆.｡.:*.｡.:*☆
Relationships: Sir Daniel Fortesque/Original Female Character
Comments: 14
Kudos: 10





	1. || The Armored Savior ||

It was a cold, overcast night. There was a soothing melody emanating within an abandoned graveyard. On top of a hill overlooking the graveyard was a young woman with short brunette hair playing the violin underneath a yew tree. With one last note, she lowered the violin to her side before opening her eyes to stare off into the distance with a content smile plastered on her face. 

A swift breeze pricked her skin whilst she kneels to put away her violin in its case. She stood upright, casting one final glance at the graveyard before retreating into the woods. Every step she took the dried-up leaves would emit a soft crunch from underneath her brown heeled bootie. Walking down the dense forest with confident stride until the thin fog that covered the ground had begun to thicken rapidly. There was an eerie feeling that accompanied it. She stopped, clutching the violin case close to her as she glanced around the area cautiously. Her eyes couldn’t see past the fog, making it rather difficult to see who was lurking around. 

The sound of a twig snapping caused her to whip her head around in the direction of the noise. She was getting an awful feeling down in the pit of her stomach. Suddenly there was movement circling around her, and she couldn’t tell where it was coming from with this thick fog, however she did manage to catch a glimpse of two giant silhouettes before it disappeared back into the fog. She knew that these unwanted guests weren’t exactly human. 

Rumor has it that there had been sightings of shadow creatures lurking in graveyards late in the night. Those who had encountered these creatures were slaughtered on sight and only a very few were lucky enough to survive the attacks and lived to tell the tale. Lately, the attacks were becoming frequent in the dead of night and the townspeople were becoming fearful that a serial killer was on the loose. Previously attacking men before changing its target to women since they were more vulnerable than the men. 

All the color was drained from her face and her heart was pounding hard against her chest. Her breath began to become shallow and was overwhelmed with sheer panic from the realization. These creatures were going to kill her. Then, there was a growl right behind her. She whipped around to see a large Komodo dragon, its body emanating a black smog-like effect and its glowing red eyes staring at her hungrily before leaping into the air to pounce on her. 

She jumped out of the way in the nick of time as she scrambled back up on her feet and ran for dear life. Their thundering footsteps were slowly gaining up on her and she was running as fast as her feet could carry her, yet it wasn’t enough to outrun these fast-moving creatures. She looked over her shoulder to see the two Komodo dragons chasing after her. A regrettable move on her part because at that moment her foot got caught in a stump and she fell forward. The violin case flew right out of her grasp as it landed a few feet away from her. In a panic, she desperately crawled towards the case with her hand outstretched. Her fingers grazed the handle of the case for a split second before being dragged back. 

“No, no, no!” She cried out and attempted to grab on to the same stump she tripped on, but her grip easily slipped as the Komodo dragon continued to drag her with force. 

She tried to escape but was forcefully held down by its mighty grip making her gasp for air. Her lungs were beginning to burn and opened her eyes where her face contorted into horror at the sight above her. The creature's mouth was wide open as it showed off its blood-stained fangs to her. Its tongue whips from side to side where the saliva drips down onto her woolen green coat. Then it let out a loud screeching roar—she screamed—it pulled back, preparing to kill her off right beneath its grasp. 

However, the creature never got the chance to attack when it was suddenly tackled to the ground by a tall unknown figure. Once she was freed from its mighty hold, she scrambled to her feet in search of her violin case. She spotted the case and sprinted towards it but the case was knocked away by the creatures’ tail. The young woman chased after it but her endeavors proved to be futile when it was knocked away more than once it was infuriating to say the least. 

Eventually the one of the creatures’ tails whipped the case into the air, kicking up a layer of dust in the process, as the case fell with a loud thud. She squinted her eyes and coughed after mistakenly inhaling the layer of dust before dashing towards the overturn case. Midway into her run across the uneven field when she was suddenly struck on her ankle by one of the creatures’ tails making her fall over hard on the ground. 

A groan slips through her lips as she slowly sits up only to be greeted by a wave of pain making her hiss. Her ankle was badly sprained and to avoid hurting herself further, she began to crawl until she reached the velvet violin case. Unbeknownst to her that the case was overturned and opened. 

There was metal clattering across the dense forest, and she turned to look but the thick smog was impairing her sight. However, she was able to distinguish three silhouettes, although one of the silhouettes belonging to the creature was lying motionless on the ground meanwhile the other was battling fiercely. 

The tall armored figure was circling the creature with a shield on his left and a fully drawn sword on his right. With one swift movement, the tall figure charged impaling its sword right into the creatures’ chest. There was a gurgled whine and then it fell to the ground with a loud thud. The armored figure stood victorious. 

She squinted her eyes to get a better look at the person's’ back and examined the armor this person wore. Concluding that this person that saved her life was in fact a male knight. Then her armored savior turned to face her, and she instantly froze. She wasn’t certain if it was because of the fog or her mind playing a sick trick on her as her “ _supposed savior_ ” was glowering at her with his singular functioning red eye. 

Not even giving it a second thought before she scrambled up to her feet and had subconsciously closed the violin case in the process and then hurriedly left the grotesque scene. While running through the forest she could’ve sworn she heard a muffled voice calling out to her. Yet, she disregarded the voice and kept on running, eventually losing the knight and safely getting away from the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://scontent.fsig1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/126428953_3289165114538813_4766525810385192304_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=2&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=i-jPuXah8WoAX9usGk2&_nc_ht=scontent.fsig1-1.fna&oh=22b5f8e57d469645c617ee628daf50ae&oe=5FDE0497
> 
> I'm sure there's a way to submit an image here on Ao3 but I honestly don't know how. ;-;  
> I put together a lovely cover for this story and the beautiful lady I used is a representation of what I envision my female protagonist would look like. ~


	2. || Misplaced ||

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> 6|05|2020
> 
> This chapter has been modified extensively but I have kept some elements from the previous version. I hope you all enjoy this newer version of it!! Do send some feedback, it is very much appreciated! c:

The afternoon sunbathed the buildings in its warm lights. Kensington high street was overcrowded with people, especially at the shopping district. She and her best friend Renna were out to get some supplies in one of the department stores. It was quite common to see people out on a Saturday. However, it genuinely surprised her to see these many people out and about when the economy was literally crashing from Britain's great depression. The wealthiest people were clearly unfazed by it to say the least. 

As they walked down the cramped sidewalk with their arms interlocked to not lose each other inside the massive crowd. Until they arrived at their destination at the department store which specializes in drapery. Both had taken tailoring classes in their early teens and had been creating their own clothes since it was cheaper and convenient. As they set foot inside, they were instantly giddy and began to rummage around the place for specific pieces of fabric, such as linen, dimity and voile. 

With summer right around the corner, it was essential that they’d purchase these types of fabrics before they eventually sell out. Soon they paid for their supplies and then had wandered around the sidewalk and that’s when they stumbled upon a small vintage shop. 

“Let’s go inside, Renna.” She suggested which earned a wary glance from her friend. 

“I’m not sure, Laura.” 

“Please, just this once?” She sent her a pleading look, with her lips curling down and her brows were furrowed too. It wasn’t long before Renna groaned whilst rolling her eyes. 

“Fine, fine. But if the manager does anything shady, I’ll be leaving you behind!” 

Laura celebrated her victory with a quiet ‘yes’ before entering the store with her unhappy friend following behind. They were greeted with a soft jingle just above the door and there was jazz music in the background. The overall atmosphere of the shop was still with a hint scent of Lavandula lingering in the air, there was no person in sight, not even the cashier. 

She didn’t mind the stillness of the shop, in fact, it’s relieving than the loud chatter from the outside. Then Laura wanders around looking through various antiques that were on display until she reached the book section. Her green eyes scanned through the dusty books when her attention was drawn to a lone necklace in between two books. She steps closer and reaches out to grab the necklace off the shelves before holding it up to her face. It was a green crystal pendant with an antique textured gold brass chain, with a toggle clasp. 

Laura held on to the necklace as she made her way towards the front desk. “Hello?” 

There was no response from the back room of the store, it’s as if the store itself was deserted apart from Renna and herself. Unsure of what to do at first until she heard light footsteps approaching. She perked up to see a middle-aged woman with long gray hair which was neatly combed into loose curls. 

“Sorry for not coming sooner. What can I help you with?” 

She then holds out the necklace to the owner. “I’d like to purchase this lovely necklace that was on display.” 

Once she purchased the item, Laura walks out of the shop and sees Renna leaning against the plexiglass from the store she was in. Renna glances over to her a wave of relief flashing across her brown eyes as she pushes herself off the glass. 

“Took you long enough!” 

Laura sent her a sheepish smile. “I still don’t understand why you hate vintage stores so much. The lady didn’t mistreat me.” 

Renna huffs and pushes back a loose strand of her auburn hair. “I don’t dislike them, but I’ve seen some items inside the shop that are just… _questionable_.” 

She hums in thought. “Like what?” 

“Items… that are used in… rituals like witchcraft…” Renna trails off, clearly uncomfortable just talking about the topic itself. Her posture tense and her eyes nervously darting around. 

Laura knew of Renna’s overall disdain for magic and anything that revolves around fairy tales. Renna was never like this, however. She used to enjoy hearing about folktales and the potential proof of magic existing. But something had happened when they were in their teens that changed Renna's mindset and now she heavily disapproves of it altogether. 

“Are you sure? It could’ve simply been ingredients lying around that were used for medicinal purposes in the Middle Ages.” Laura gently reassured her and was pleased with herself when Renna had begun to relax. 

Renna smiles gratefully to her. “Thanks, Laura.” 

“What are friends for, right?” 

... 

Night falls, the darkened sky is dotted with countless small stars and nocturnal critters of all shapes and sizes are now active. They roam out in the open searching for food and fighting for their territory. There was soft rustling of the leaves, however there was an unusual sound that stood out, it was soft thuds of items being thrown from inside a house. 

“Where is it? - I can’t find it anywhere!!” Laura exclaimed as she stumbled out of her walk-in closet which was in disarray. 

She has been searching nonstop since her return from her outing with Renna. It was just like any other day when she would come home. Laura would head upstairs to her room and organize her purchases right on top of her bed. When she had accidentally knocked over her violin case and went to pick it up only to find out that her violin was absent inside its case. In a state of panic, she had quite literally turned her house upside down in less than an hour in search of her instrument but turned up empty-handed. 

It was already half past ten and she was unsuccessful in finding the violin. Laura stomped down the stairs until she reached the living room and then threw herself on the couch. Her face was pressed up against the cream-colored square pillow where she proceeded to groan loudly in frustration. She felt utterly exhausted before carelessly removing her shoes and allowing them to fall off the edge of the couch with a light thud. With her left arm dangling off the couch and was greeted by a soft sensation grazing against her forearm. Laura lifts her head and turns to see her ragdoll cat staring directly at her with his large blue eyes. 

“Hey Tiger…” She greets her feline friend with a smile and then gently rubs her index finger on the side of his cheek, to which he purred in delight. 

She continued to pet him for a bit longer until she was too tired to do so and was slowly falling asleep. Then there was a light tapping sound coming from her glass door. Not thinking much of it and attempting to fall back asleep when the noise became quite persistent to gain her attention. 

Laura huffed, pushing herself off the comfort of her couch and then walked over to the glass door. She unlocked it and slid the door open where the chilly breeze of the night pricked her skin with light kisses. Her tired eyes looking around her small rectangular yard, it wasn’t much but she made sure to add in some appeasing plants into her garden. 

There were harebell, chicory, and foxglove flowers which are about to bloom in the summer were inside used and old glass containers. Off to the side were a variety of pots for different vegetables she was growing for the summer. Around her space there was a thick layer of shrubbery and finally a singular apple tree in the middle. 

She was deeply confused. What even made that noise? It was probably just a rat— 

MEOOW 

Laura instantly yelped and hugged the side of her door for dear life until she glanced down. The culprit was Tiger who simply stared up at her. “JESUS—Tiger, you scared me half to death!!” 

Then her eyes moved to see an item that Tiger was sitting right next to. It was her violin! 

Her face lit up before she bent over to pick up her violin eagerly. The violin was made entirely out of iridescent glass with golden brass designs around the front of the instrument. In between the strings there was a neatly folded letter attached to it. She removed the letter and then unraveled it, reading what was written inside. 

“ _Dear Miss,_

_I apologize for giving you a scare the previous night. But during the scuffle, you left behind your instrument and had left in a hurry. I attempted to follow you and return it but lost sight of where you’d gone. To my luck, I stumbled across you today and decided to follow you home and return what rightfully belonged to you. Again, I humbly apologize for following you in advance. Please tread carefully next time you decide to wander around in the late hours of the night, especially within the woods._

_Sincerely,  
Sir Daniel Fortesque. _”__

__

__Laura pulled back and scanned her yard with wide eyes for any signs of her savior but unfortunately there was none. She didn’t notice this up until this point, but she could feel her saviors gaze watching her from afar. Perhaps she had misunderstood him during the attack, I mean he did save her after all._ _

__

__She smiled gratefully, her green eyes still searching for him in the dark. “Thank you, Sir Daniel Fortesque.”_ _

__

__Suddenly a gust of wind sweeps right by her sending chills down her exposed skin. She didn’t want to catch a cold, so she ushered her cat inside before following suit into the warmth of her humble abode. Unbeknownst to her, Sir Daniel Fortesque had been watching her as she went inside to ensure she was safe and sound. His cheekbones were raised indicating that he was smiling before eventually taking his leave into the night._ _


	3. || The Bandaged Man ||

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! ;;-;;
> 
> Been quite occupied with my main novel for the past few days. I decided to take a break and start working on this long awaited chapter. Finals are over and I have time to work on this lovely story, still trying to figure out the mechanics but I'll get there! c:
> 
> Enjoy!! ~~

The pavement was met by the constant clanking of her black spool heels and her labored breath was made evident as she continued to run down the streets. Laura was chasing after a young boy, who had initially accidentally bumped into her. Not realizing that the boy made a quick and sly movement with his hands and had snatched something through the pocket of her dress. She was not pleased the second he made a dash for it, however, she refused to let the boy get away with this. 

While in hot pursuit of the young pick pocketer, she had bumped into all sorts of people along the way, apologizing swiftly without giving them a chance to hear their complaints to her. It wasn’t long before she had caught up to him as they now stood on the overpass. 

She was panting heavily, and her eyes remained fixated at the young boy. He had a smug look on his face as he extended his hand over the cement railing. In his hand he held a long golden chain and attached to it was a pocket watch that had a rose engraved on it. It was the pocket watch that he had stolen from her as he dangles it over the edge mockingly, as if he was saying: _Come any closer and I’ll drop it_. 

Her eyes widened at the sight, yet she held back the urge to tackle the boy and remained calm as she possibly could. She extends her hand slowly towards him, maintaining eye-contact with him and as she does this, she is slowly inching closer to him. 

“Give that back to me, please.” It was a risky move on her part but it’s better than just knocking him off his feet. He was still a child after all, and she would feel awful if she ever laid a finger on someone so young. 

Alas, her plan didn’t work and watched as he ultimately let go of the golden pocket watch. However, she was fast on her feet and then lunged forward, successfully catching the watch in the nick of time. With a sigh of relief, she pushes herself off the railing and turns around, and the next thing she knew she was pushed harshly over the railing. Only catching a glimpse of the boy smirking at her before retreating. 

It’s as if time had slowed down while she fell. With her hands clutching the pocket watch close to her chest and her eyes were shut tight. She waited to hit the pavement below, but it never came and instead, she felt a pair of arms holding her. 

Laura fluttered her eyes open and slowly raised her head, curious as to who had saved her from an unfortunate fall. The person who saved her was a man wearing a grey trench coat, a navy-blue scarf around his neck and a grey newsboy hat, however that’s not what genuinely surprised her. It was the fact that the man’s entire face was wrapped in bandages and he was wearing a pair of polarized sunglasses. 

“Are you all right, miss?” His muffled voice asked with concern which had brought her back from her thoughts. 

She slowly nods in response before he carefully lowered her legs on the ground where she held on to his gloved hand for support. Once balanced she composed herself and then smiled apologetically at him. 

“I’m sorry… I-I didn’t mean to stare.” Stumbling with her words like a fool being already flustered from her predicament. “Thank you… for catching me.” 

“Well, it’s not every day you get to save a lovely maiden such as yourself.” His flattering remark left her entire face completely red, as well as her heart pounding hard against her chest. 

Laura looks off to the side feeling utterly bashful, in a good way thought! It’s not every day a stranger gets to compliment her often. She’s not used to this kind of thing and she doesn’t consider herself the attractive type either. Then her demeanor swiftly changed when she thought about that young thief. 

“That boy - I swear the next time I see him I'll give him an earful about stealing and pushing me off the overpass!” She was beyond peeved and was silently seething from where she stood with her hands balled into fists. 

“A boy pushed you off the overpass?” The man mused aloud, sounding genuinely surprised by this fact. 

Laura looked back at him and even with all the wraps covering every inch of his face, she could tell that he was stunned. She was reluctant at first, unsure to tell him but she soon given in. 

“Yes… that young boy stole my pocket watch, it’s invaluable, so I pursued him and uh… the outcome didn’t pan out as I expected it to.” She sent him a sheepish smile and was stunned to see his demeanor change. 

His clenched fist and unyielding posture, his overall body language said it all. The man was practically radiating anger altogether. It was beginning to scare her. As she hugged her sides to find some sort of comfort and this had caught his attention. Almost instantly all traces of his anger were nonexistent, before muttering an apology to her. 

She sent him a reassuring smile before checking the time on her pocket watch. Her eyes were wider than a euro coin and with raised eyebrows while she stared down at her pocket watch in horror. 

“Oh no! I’m going to be late!!” Her sudden outburst startled the man and began to slowly walk the opposite way. “Sorry, I need to go. Thank you again for saving me! Take care!!” 

Before he had the chance to say anything, the young maiden was out of sight. 

…. 

The streets were empty in the dead of twilight. A cold breeze had suddenly brushed against the lace and chiffon fabric of her dress, causing it to sway lightly with the wind. Even when her dress draped above her ankles and the many layers underneath, it was not enough to keep her from feeling light nips on her skin from the cold. Laura didn’t let the chill of the night bother her as she continued to walk down the empty streets. However, this didn’t change the fact that she felt utterly exhausted. 

Being a Lady’s maid for a wealthy family in her town is not a simple task whatsoever. She also takes the role of housekeeper since her employer, Madam Lucia Carter, had recently promoted her the position just over a month ago. Which meant she had to manage the other maids, the butlers, the cooks, etc. throughout the household. Her working schedule had doubled, and she often came home even more exhausted than before. 

A soft sigh slips through her lips, with her eyes closed and allowing her shoulders to relax. Laura couldn’t wait to return home and rid herself of the maid outfit before taking a long and well-deserved bath. Just fantasizing about it made her swoon. 

“ _Oi_! You!” 

Her fantasies were abruptly interrupted by a voice trying to get her attention. So, she stopped walking and opened her eyes only to be greeted by two men in their mid-twenties standing in front of her. Both men wore the identical workwear, navy blue jumpsuit and a white long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The man on the right had unkempt brown hair while his friends’ ebony hair was neatly kept. 

Oh, and let’s not forget about the alcoholic beverages they held in their hands. Both men practically reek of it as they swayed from where they stood. 

“What’s a fi-i-ine young lady like you wandering around the streets at this ungodly hour?” The ebony haired one slurred and then proceeded to take a large swig of his drink. 

Laura wasn’t even standing near them when she caught a whiff of the alcohol breath invading her nostrils. In response, she scrunched up her nose in slight disgust. The compliment he gave her didn’t flatter her in the slightest, in fact, it made her want to hurl. 

“So, you're a maid, huh? Why don’t you come and join us?” The unkempt man offered. 

“That’s very thoughtful of you but I’ll have to pass. You see, I need to head back home to tend to my cat.” She politely declined with her hands raised just above her chest. It wasn’t a lie per se, but she really didn’t want to be near these two intoxicated men. 

The ebony-haired man took an unsteady step forward almost eating the floor in the process. If it hadn’t been for his friend who steadied him... well, he would’ve lost his precious pearly white teeth and eaten them with his blood. 

“I’m sorry but I really must take my leave.” She was about to walk around them but was unable to do so when the unkempt man suddenly spoke. 

“A maid like yourself needs company. We can take you home… and have some _fun_.” The way he emphasized _fun_ really unnerved her and knew damn well what he was trying to imply. She is no prostitute; it was revolting to say the least. 

Her kind smile that she wore from the very start of the conversation was gone in an instant. She sent them a displeasing glare which did little affect to them, being too drunk to even care. The way their lustful eyes studied her body, fantasizing their lude actions with her. She reached down to her pocket and was ready to act when a voice had made itself known behind her. 

“Sorry gentlemen, but I’m afraid that this young maiden is with me.” 

Laura almost jumped out of her skin and turned around to see the man that saved her life earlier that morning. He walked over to her until he stood beside her with his gloved hands shoved inside his trench coat pockets. Mind you that he’s like seven feet tall compared to her petite height standing only at five foot three beside him. His tall stature was enough to intimidate the intoxicated men, mumbling under their breath before sauntering off. 

She exhaled deeply in relief as her green orbs landed on to his bandaged features, although with much difficulty considering their height differences. “Thank you for shooing them away.” 

He looks down at her with a slight tilt in his head. “I’m happy to have helped. I...um, hope I’m not intruding by asking this out of the blue. But why is a maiden like yourself wandering in the dead of night?” 

“If you must know, _this_ maiden right here,” She points to herself with a smile. “, has a job and just so happens to clock out late. It’s quite a handful and I’m eager to go home.” 

Being the gentleman, he is, offers his gloved hand to her in which she gladly accepts. They peacefully walked down the sidewalk with their arms linked until arriving at her humble abode. She stood up the steps which lead to her mahogany door and then turned to face the man with a grateful expression. 

“Thank you for accompanying me. Honestly, I can’t thank you enough for what you did. Is there anything you’d like as compensation?” 

“Hmm... and if I refuse?” He asked humorlessly and watched in amusement as she folded her arms and then sent him a playful glare. 

“Even if you refuse, I’m still going to repay you for all the trouble that I’ve caused.” 

“Are you sure? I believe that the trouble seems to be attracted to you after all.” 

There was a hint of jest laced in his muffled voice to which she responded by punching him in the arm. This had completely caught him off guard and he couldn’t help but get a good chuckle out of it. Since there was no real force into the punch itself and he knew that she did so with good intentions. 

“Say,” She mused, earning his attention. “I never got the chance to ask for your name.” 

He straightens his posture with one arm tucked behind him and the other rested against his chest. “Daniel is the name, and what yours might be my young maiden?” 

She stifled out an amusing chuckle, feeling her cheeks burn up from his performance. “Laura. Laura fleur-de-lis, it’s a pleasure to finally be acquainted with you Daniel.”


	4. || Karma at its Finest ||

Summer is here and the afternoon sky was a cocktail blue. The residences of Kensington were out and about savoring the lovely warm weather. A pleasant heat was radiating off of the pavement and there were multiple sounds of heavy footfall that was being walked on the cement path. The streets throughout the local marketplace weren’t as crowded as they wanted it to be. However, that didn’t stop them and would welcome anyone who stepped inside their crisp establishments.

There were soft jingles that are heard from within the store, and stepping into the store was none other than Laura herself. She was drawn to the various antiques displayed on the glass window and so she had to come in to explore. A natural curiosity to seek any hidden treasure that the antique had to offer. She was not disappointed, in fact, she was thrilled to see a whole variety scattered throughout the store. It was like walking through a wonderland of antiques and knick knacks, it made her heart soar. 

She made her way around the store by looking through the book section, going through the books by reading the titles that were on the spine. Although not all of the rustic books had the title imprinted on them so she would have to pull them out of their shelf and see what was written inside its yellow-stained pages. Unfortunately, none of the books had caught her eye as she now made her way towards the clothing rack which held a wide assortment of garments. Skimming through them by touching the fabric, inspecting the color and the condition they were in. Most of them remained perfectly intact with only minor fraying at the patterned cloth at the hems of the dresses and the sleeves, the others weren’t as lucky. Parts of their fabric were stained which would be a nightmare to scrub off, and the overall color that once gave life to these lovely dresses were washed out throughout the years of constant usage and now is a wrinkled and torn piece of clothing that won’t ever see the light of day.

Her feet carried her to the most thrilling part of the shop, the knick knacks and or the miscellaneous section. There scattered neatly onto the wooden table was a variety of items all in perfect condition with a few chips and rustic appearance. She adored the aesthetic these items gave off some of which would be perfect to take home and put it on full display. Eying through them thoughtfully with a smile, her indecisiveness on which ones to take was already a tedious endeavor in itself. They all would compliment nicely in her home, and with much thought she finally chose one; an old vintage compass with a sundial attached to it.

Once exiting the store she heads down the sidewalk towards her next destination. Laura then pulled out the compass and was tracing her fingers on to the worn out metal, thinking of ways to properly clean the delicate contraption when she returned home. As a result, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and had accidentally bumped into someone almost dropping her newly purchased item onto the dread pavement below, luckily that didn’t happen.

“I am so sorry! I should have payed more attention-”

She abruptly interrupts herself when she recognizes the person.

“Daniel?”

He turned to face her, his signature hat missing from his bandaged head. “Laura? I didn’t expect to run into you on this fine day, except that you were the one who ran into me.”

Laura rolled her eyes playfully before bending down to pick up his fallen hat. Then she hands over his flat cap which he gladly takes from her grasp and he props it on to where it rightfully belongs.

“Well, I couldn’t just pass up this lovely weather now, hm? OH- look!” She exclaimed with a sudden burst of joy as she showed Daniel her newly obtained item. 

He curiously leans over to get a better look. “A compass?”

“Not just any compass - see? It has a built in sundial on top.” She points with her index finger the sundial, the letters around it still visible after not being used for some time. 

Daniel smiled from underneath his wraps and was silently admiring her overwhelming joy as she began to briefly rave about her love for vintage items. Being genuinely fascinated about the knowledge that was given to him and would ask how she got interested in collecting these antiques. 

They walked alongside each other still engaged in their conversation. With Laura passionately expressing her delight for collecting different varieties of vintage items that she would come across. In fact, she admitted that it was her mother that had gotten her into vintage items in the first place. Somehow the topic regarding groceries came up rather unexpectedly and now they were heading towards the nearest supermarket. 

Daniel, being the gentleman he is, remained by her side to lend her a hand despite her protests.

“You didn’t have to come all this way for me, Dan. I’m sure you have other things to do rather than getting produce with me.” Laura looks over her shoulder to see Dan still following close behind her.

“It would be rude of me to not lend a hand. Besides, your needs are much more relevant than my own.” Dan remarked to which she simply nods and looks away, not realizing that she was purposely hiding her reddened cheeks from him.

They entered through the large doors of the supermarket where Laura proceeds to grab a basket that was a foot away from the entrance before wandering down the aisles. From there she slowly filled up her basket with some much needed cooking products, which was why she was at the baking aisle looking through a variety of ingredients especially the baking powders.

“What do you use these for?” Daniel blurts out.

She looks over to him with a bag of 3.5kg of baking powder in her opposite hand and a smile on her face. “To make baked goodies of course!”

“You can bake?” 

Laura hums happily which in turn genuinely surprised him.

“I learned how to bake from my mum since I was little- helping her around the kitchen and what not. I’m glad she did, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to bake homemade sweets. It’s a fun little hobby which is… therapeutic in a way.” 

She then places the baking powder inside the basket where they would head towards the next and final destination: the produce section. Laura reached down into her hidden pocket of her dress where she took out a green hand-sized notebook with a fountain pen attached on the side. She would simultaneously add the vegetables into her basket and cross them off her list. At some point she handed the basket over to Daniel as she wandered off into the meat section.

The sudden change in temperature as she entered the colder area made her hairs stand on end. Especially when she wore a white linen dress with intricate crochet designs on the three-quarter sleeves which ended halfway down her hips. Even if she wore a petticoat underneath it still wasn’t enough to keep her warm, however, she wasn’t going to allow the measly cold bother her as she made her rounds throughout the section.

Laura isn’t much of a meat eater herself, but the one exception is fish every now and then. Which is what she’s currently looking for and was scanning through the display before spotting the fish of her liking. She went to grab the frozen package but stopped herself when she felt her insides tingle, not in a good way. So, she turned to glance on her left, lo and behold, there stood the same boy who had attempted to steal her pocket watch and had very rudely pushed her off the overpass a month prior.

Luckily, the brunette youngster didn’t seem to recognize her at all, which was probably due to the white wool hat that she was wearing. That's not all, apparently the woman that stood right beside him was presumably his mother because of their indisputable similarities. 

Suddenly, a brilliant idea came into mind. A wide mischievous grin spread across her features and her intentions were to seek a petty revenge for what the boy had done to her. Oh, how she was going to have so much fun.

She began to execute her plan by casually walking closer to them but not too close as to not prematurely spoil it. Picking up a frozen package and pretended to read the contents of the frozen treats and simply waited. 

The youngster noticed her presence, still not recognizing her which was a good sign. Laura kept ‘reading’ until she glances over to see that the mother walks away to look through the various meat selections. He saw this as an opportunity and inches closer to her and then attempts to sneak his hand towards her. However, his hand didn’t even come close when she swiftly grabbed a hold of his wrist. This genuinely took him by complete surprise even more so when he looked up and immediately recognized her.

“It’s rude to steal. Ever read the ten commandments of the bible: _Thou shalt not steal._ ” Laura said, glaring down at him before bending down to his eye-level where she leaned in and whispered into his ear. “ᵂʰᵃᵗ ʷᵃˢ ᵇʳᵒᵘᵍʰᵗ ᵈᵒʷⁿ ᵘᵖᵒⁿ ᵐᵉ. ᴮᵉ ʳᵉᵗᵘʳⁿᵉᵈ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗⁱᵐᵉˢ ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ. ᴴᵉᵃᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵗᵒᵉ, ˢᵏⁱⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ⁿᵉʳᵛᵉ. ᴹᵃʸ ʸᵒᵘ ᵍᵉᵗ ᵉˣᵃᶜᵗˡʸ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʸᵒᵘ ᵈᵉˢᵉʳᵛᵉ.”

As soon as she lets go of his wrist, the youngster bolts towards his mother, however, he seemingly trips over nothing and falls face first onto the floor. The noise caught the mothers attention and seeing that her son had fallen made her rush towards his aid. He was crying from the pain, speaking incomprehensible words before being taken away by his worried mother. 

Laura smiles triumphantly at the promising site before walking away to get her hands on the fish that she had her eyes on earlier.


	5. || Gelid ||

Laura could not help but shiver involuntarily at the sounds of wind howling right outside her backyard door. Snow can be seen falling from the skies in copious amounts which had now covered the grass in three inches of snow on the earth. She was lucky that she saved her plants from their chilly demise in time. 

It had been snowing for the past two weeks and in the middle of August. This came to a surprise to not only herself but to everyone else in her town. In fact, the weather had gotten so bad that all stores and the roads were closed off due to the endless snowfall. No one could leave their homes because of the four inches of snow that now covered the roads as well as the sidewalks and was slowly worsening as the days went by. 

She sighs, sinking herself further into the couch. Raising the still warm tea up to lips and taking a few sips to not accidentally burn her mouth. The fireplace to her left cackled gently every so often, a pleasant warmth lingering in the medium sized living room. She was all bundled up inside the heavy wool blankets, and sleeping beside her was Tiger, curled up into a ball to keep himself warm on top of the wool blanket. 

The harsh winds pelted against the glass door did not seem to faze her. She found herself staring at the ceiling where her mind began to wander. It has been three months since she’d last seen Daniel, and she is beginning to realize how much she longs for his presence. No matter how hard she tried not to, the image of him would eventually sneak its way into her mind. 

Who would have thought she would miss him this much? 

She lets out a soft whine and moves her head to glance over beside her only to realize that Tiger was no longer there. Then her ears picked up the sounds of his meows from outside of the room and was scratching at something. Laura rose from the couch, leaving behind the warmth and comfort of the blankets in search for her feline friend. To her surprise, Tiger was standing right by the front door, at this point he was practically howling to be let out as he continued to scratch at the door. 

“What has gotten into you?” 

Instantly, Tiger perked up at the sound of her voice, the pitch in his meow changing to a chirp as he walked up to her. He purposely bonked her leg with his head before directing his attention towards the entrance, his meowing becoming more distressed and his tail swishing impatiently. 

Laura stares at the entrance with her head slightly cocked to the side. Curious to know what her friend was wailing about; she approached the door and investigated the small peephole. Unsurprisingly, there was no one on the other side, just the endless snowfall that covered the entirety of her steps. 

“There’s nothing outside, Tiger.” 

As she looked over, Tiger had sat down and was staring directly at her with dilated eyes. It was apparent that her friend eagerly wanted her to open the door. After giving it much thought she gave in to her cat's odd request, twisting the silver lever handle of her door and then swung it open. 

She was immediately met with the sudden rush of frigid air that had left harsh kisses across her cheeks. If she had not been wearing her long, warm nightgown then she would have certainly been shivering uncontrollably from where she stood. Once again, there was nothing outside other than a thick layer of snow on her steps, which she made a mental note to shovel it when the snowfall lessened. Before she had the chance to even close the door, Tiger had run out. 

“Wha- Tiger?! What are you-” 

She abruptly cut herself off and was taken by surprise when Tiger began to dig at the snow by the steps. An all too familiar hat had emerged from the layer of snow and the person was finally able to lift their head, albeit weakly. 

“Oh my god… Daniel!!” 

Laura went over to his side and thus began to dig him out of the heavy snow. Once freed, she helped him stand up on his feet with his arm draped over her shoulders and then guided him inside her home with Tiger eagerly following behind. 

As soon as she placed Daniel on the couch and threw him the warm wool blanket, she had been using earlier before she went to fetch for more blankets. She came back with a handful of them and threw them on top of his still shivering form, dismissing the sounds of what she thought were his bone rattling for teeth rattling. In the middle of her adjusting the layers of the many blankets she was slowly wrapping around his body, she failed to notice Daniel’s gaze as she did so. He was so enthralled by her handy work that he flinched when she removed his hat and pressed her hands against his head. 

“You’re still freezing!” She exclaimed; worry laced in her soft-spoken voice. 

Just as she was pulling away Daniel instinctively grabbed a hold of her hand to stop her. Laura whipped her head and was staring at him with a surprised wide-eyed expression. Daniel struggled to speak, his teeth chattering made it extremely difficult for him, however, he managed to stutter out a single word. 

“ _St-a-ay._ ” 

Laura’s ivory cheeks instantly flushed along with her heart swelling in delight. Her gaze softened and she happily complied to his request. She sat right beside him, joining him under the covers where she got herself comfortable. Sharing each other's warmth from the harsh freezing weather that was howling outside and with the help of the blankets Daniel’s uncontrollable shivering had eventually toned down into only minor shivers every so often. 

The soft cackling of the fireplace with the occasional wind hitting the glass door were the only sounds that resonated in the room. By now, a good amount of time had passed, and Daniel's shivering had stopped altogether and was currently relishing the sweet warmth that was spreading throughout his body. 

He was silently admiring the decor within the room; everything was laid out neatly in their respected area which completed nicely with the deep green wallpaper. Atop the fireplace there are a wide assortment of Knick knacks, which were small wooden figurines of critters and an incense that was currently burning in the very center. Daniel can faintly distinguish the scent from where he sat, it was blueberry scented. There was an oval sized mirror above all the Knick knacks and on either side were dried out plants. They are either for decorative purposes or was it to ward off evil entities? 

‘ _Mostly decorative,_ ’ He concluded. 

Daniel averted his gaze towards Laura who was fast asleep, resting her head against his arm. He took notice of the loose strands of her brunette hair poking out in various places, and then his gaze moved to stare at her features. The pink undertones in her skin stood out the most in her cheekbones, in the tip of her nose and her chin. He can faintly hear her snoring, whereas he felt her body rise and fall. He genuinely forgot how stunning she is after not seeing her in over three months, it pained him at the fact that he left so abruptly. It was never his intentions in the first place and yet… 

Suddenly there was movement, which caught off his thoughts and watched as Laura began to rouse herself from her siesta. 

Her eyes fluttered open, being too groggy to tell that she was all snuggled up on Daniel. It took her a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep on him, her cheeks instantly turning red. 

“I’m so sorry, Dan. I didn’t mean to uh… sleep on you.” She stuttered out, her eyes darting elsewhere to avoid his gaze. 

Daniel chuckled, “You shouldn’t apologize. Besides, having you next to me helped in warming me up more than what I had originally anticipated.” 

Laura glances over, sending him a sheepish smile. “Really? Well… I'm glad it worked out.” 

Afterwards, Laura left the room to brew up some tea for them. She came back with the piping hot tea in hand and gave Daniel his cup before sitting beside him again. As they drank their tea in silence, well, mostly Laura was the only one drinking, when she decided to say what was on her mind. 

“You really had me worried when you simply disappeared unexpectedly. I know you had your reasonings behind it but,” She turns to look at him, a sad smile now plastered across her face. “You could’ve at least warned me beforehand or sent me a letter… I thought something terrible happened to you.” 

She murmured the last bit of her sentence, but Daniel heard it clear as day and that did not stop the guilt from gnawing at his insides. 

“I’m sorry… truly I am. I should have told you sooner but I… I was afraid.” He admitted where he lowered his head in shame. 

“Afraid? Of what exactly?” She asked. 

Daniel, with much hesitation, proceeds to explain briefly. “I’ve been… struggling to find a place to live.” 

“You’ve been homeless?!” Laura could not believe it, her friend, Daniel has been homeless for three months or longer. His sudden absence made sense now. 

“Yes… I didn’t want you to worry about me.” 

“You dummy… of course I’d be worried about you!” Her sudden outburst caused Dan to flinch and was now staring at her in shock. 

He as Laura stood up from the couch, placing the now empty cup of tea on the small, rustic wooden coffee table which was in front of them. She was now facing him where she extended her hands to rest them on his shoulders, with her face inches away from his and maintained eye-contact. 

“I have every right to worry because you’re my friend, Daniel. I care about you and your well-being. No matter what you’re going through you are always welcomed into my home which also means that my home is your too.” Laura proudly stated, eyes glistening with such tenderness for him which was accompanied by a smile. 

Daniel was speechless and was unable to find the correct words to articulate how much her words really meant to him. He had not felt so valued since… since his previous partner to which his mood instantly became somber. 

“Laura, I… I wouldn’t want to be a burden on you––” He wasn’t allowed to finish with his sentence when Laura had swiftly intervened his train of thought. 

“You’re never a burden, Dan. You have done so much for me; it is time that I gave back. Consider it a proper repayment for saving me that day at the overpass.” She gave him a cheeky wink. 

Dan could not blush through his bandages; however, he did radiate heat which was making him sweat underneath. To top it off he still had the many layers of blankets over him––he was melting to say the least. She was going to be the death of him, in a manner of speaking.


End file.
